Reincarnated King
by kazeakariya
Summary: "Kept within the confines of the mind, I seek happiness. My soul, my counterpart, heed my call." In which Mikoto was saved by Saruhiko while he tries to let go of his past and the creator of the dresden slate is somehow connected to him. This will not follow the canon. Takes place during the Ashinaka High Battle. I do not own K project.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Past beginnings

Disclaimer: I don't own K Project.

* * *

"The red king's sword is deteriorating... So it's finally come to this...", a soft murmur in the wind was barely heard.

The final battle.

The fall of kings.

It wasn't suppose to happen like this. None of this should have happened in the first place.

'Why?' a single thought went through his head.

Saruhiko stared in the horizon. His focus straight in the sky, right on the two remaining swords. That one single thought was the only thing in his mind. He wondered if fate enjoyed watching men suffer or if she is just plain cruel as this. Forcing upon the never ending cyle of pain and suffering.

Memories came to him one by one then all of his memories suddenly bombarded him forcing him to kneel and clutch his head as if his life depended on it. Not a single sound managed to pass his senses, not even the alarmed screaming of the Lieutenant of Scepter 4 brought him to his senses nor did the shaking of his body courtesy of Hidaka affect him.

Nothing at all.

He fell down to his sides, curling up in a fetal position with eyes shut tightly. A whimper of pain managed to slip out of his lips adding to the worry of the blue clan.

'How odd... They don't normally care of my well being... I wonder what's with the change of heart...' he could not help but think of the abnormal situation despite the pain until he felt an excruciating pain surging through his whole body concentrating mostly in the brain. He let out a heart-wrenching scream that seemed so unbefitting for someone like him increasing the concern of his comrades.

Another set of memories flooded his mind accompanied with the pain. Images of swords, light, darkness, a child, and crystals flashed in a speed that he could not comprehend.

Then, light overwhelmed him.

* * *

In the midst of the battle between the Blue King, Munakata Reisi and the Red King, Suoh Mikoto, a sudden blast of light more powerful than what they've ever encountered washed over the two forcing them to put up the strongest barrier they could ever conjure to survive. Unfortunately, their barriers broke allowing the light to completely engulf their being.

The wave continued to flow like an endless river until finally stopping after what seemed to be an eternity.

Oddly enough, no pain was felt throughout the ordeal, only warmth and longing. Longing for what, they did not know.

The wave ceased and the world seemed so peaceful as if no war has ever occured in the first place. It was something unheard of for anyone who has gone through the chain of events.

In an attempt to recover from the shock they just went through, they stood up and looked around. Much to their surprise, the supposedly dead red clansman Totsuka and the Silver king, Isana Yashiro was lying on the ground, breathing.

Their surprise did not end there when they realized that both their sword of damocles was completely healed just as how it would be on the first day that they were chosen as kings. The barren landscape that they fought on was returned to its original state as well.

"Such power... This is astounding yet quite terrifying in its own right." Munakata exclaimed after seeing the effects the light brought to the area.

" The hell is going on?!" Mikoto said after realizing what happened to his sword and clansman.

"For one thing, this is no ordinary miracle... Quite interesting if I do say do myself." Munakata replied while attempting to contact his second-in-command.

It took a few tries until Munakata managed to get a hold of Awashima. However, instead of her usual composed self, what greated the Blue king was the hystetical lieutenant barking off orders to stabilize a certain raven haired male of his condition before something even worse occurs.

"Awashima-kun, what is going on?" Munakata asked in his normal calm tone though his eyes betrayed his voice.

"Sir, Fushimi suddenly collapsed and released a wave of light of sorts. He has been unresponsive of anything until he started to whimper and cry out in pain. No one knows what exactly is going on with him sir. Your orders?" Awashima spoke with her usual respectful tone though underlining her concern over the bluenette.

"Move him to the medical wing of the HQ immediately! Secure his location and don't let anyone hinder the process. Put him on top priority!" Munakata exclaimed in an anxious tone, not even bothering to cover it up in the first place.

"Understood." The short clipped reply of the lieutenant informed him that it was much worse that what he thought.

Ending the call, he looked back at Mikoto with a sigh. Seeing his questioning stare, he knew that he had to inform him as well of what has conspired.

"Well... Now we know where that light came from."

Though it did not satisfy the thirst for answer of Mikoto's questioning stare at all.

* * *

A/N: This is my first time... This is actually just a test... So should I continue?


	2. Chapter 2: Light's Revelation

Chapter 2: Light's Revelation

A/N: So this is the second chapter... There may be a lot of grammar mistakes since english is not my main languange. Please forgive me for that... Also Hitsumire is my OC and the whole Sceo seal is just my idea...Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Disclaimer: I do not own K project.

* * *

The light was blinding but he didn't care. The warmth was comforting all the pain of his dull aching heart, allowing him to momentarily forget all of his problems.

All he wanted was to keep his eyes closed and stay there forever but, he knew that he would never be given that chance so he kept walking. To where, he did not know.

All he felt was the tug of his soul towards somewhere. His feet moving on their own while he walked in a dazed state admiring the landscape.

Grass stretched towards the horizon with trees sprouting at his left. A river with crystal-like waters flowed on his right. Pastel colors painted the heavens with its serene hues. Gentle winds blew ruffling his hair in the process. The soft sounds of chirping was heard clearly in the vastness of the land. The surrounding itself seems to give a shine and sparkled with life in every nook and cranny. It was something he would not usually see in reality.

Normally, he would have immediately increased his alertness but, for this occasion, he only wanted be engulfed by the light.

After what seemed to be several hours, he stopped infront of a lake with a lotus flower floating in the middle.

"You're here. You're finally here! I finally got to see you." A gentle, melodic voice of a male was heard behind him.

Turning around, he saw the man running up to him and hugged him tightly as if he was going to disapper. Saruhiko tensed up but, awkwardly wrapped his arms around the man and was instanly filled with an intense sense of acceptance and belonging. He relaxed in the stranger's arms and allowed himself to be brought to the edge of the lake under a shade of a tree.

A few minutes was spent in silence as Saruhiko leaned on the man's shoulder while he caressed the bluenette's hair.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the man had pure white hair, azure eyes with abstract symbols from his left lower eyelid to this jaw as well as from the left top eyelid to his forehead and wore a white coat with an up turned collar with blue and silver linings, white cape with gold designs, white pants and knee-high boots and an intricately designed sword with a dark blue sheath strapped on his left hip.

"Enjoying the view?" The stranger teasingly asked with an eyebrow raised and a smile planted on his face.

Saruhiko spluttered incoherently while blushing a deep shade of red causing the man to chuckle.

"Calm down. I was just kidding. No need to fret, my dear." The man said, eyes softening as he looked at Saruhiko.

"D-don't call me that! I don't even know you... And how in the world did you even know who I am and where the hell are we?" Saruhiko said while avoiding eye contact.

"The introductions must have slipped my mind. Forgive me. My name is Hitsumire. I created the Sceo seal or Dresden slate as you call it... In a way... And as for where we are, I suppose you can say it's the deepest part of your heart." The man, Hitsumire, said with a gentle smile.

It took a few seconds for Saruhiko to absorb all the new information before saying...

"Huh?"

Saruhiko sat besides Hitsumire with his mouth gaping like a fish. He shook his head and proceeded to state the absurdity of his words.

"You're kidding right?"

"I'm afraid not."

"..."

Hitsumire chuckled when he saw the blank look of Saruhiko.

"So let me get this straight... You're the creator of the Dresden Slate which basically sums you up as a King, we're inside my _heart_ , and this is not a freakin' dream?"

"Pretty much."

"And you're not a crazy lunatic that was created by my head to embody the stupidity of my memories or emotions or what not?"

"Nope."

"And you're not a ghost either?"

"Not even close to one in the first place."

Saruhiko took a deep breath then screamed...

"ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?! YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT BULLSHIT?!"

Hitsumire sighed then ruffled Saruhiko's hair and stood up.

"Well... I suppose I'll just have to show you now."

A bright blinding light covered his body then pale blue flames erupted from his feet, rising into the air and suddenly shot up into the sky forming a pillar around him.

Saruhiko shut his eyes in response to the light that blinded him temporarily. When it receeded, he opened his eyes and saw the most majestic sword of damocles in the air.

The sword had an intricately formed hilt and blade with seven differently colored gems on the front of the handle. Seven dagger-like swords were also surrounding the larger one in an asymmetrical pattern. The altitude of the sword was also far higher than what the other sword of damocles were. It was a stunning sight.

Hitsumire chuckled at the stunned face of Saruhiko and proceeded to sit behind Saruhiko so as to be able to wrap his arms around his precious one.

Burying his face on Saruhiko's hair, he snuggled closer to the warmth he has been desperately craving for years. His eyes grew colder at the thought of all the painful experiences Saruhiko went through in his past. His focus was brought back when Saruhiko spoke to him once again after snapping out of his shock.

"So it's true... That you're a king..."

"mhmm"

"And you are seriously _not_ joking..."

"yup"

"And you're somehow a _part of me?_ "

"Well... You are my reincarnation..."

"...and, somehow, is _another person's_ reincarnation... How irritating..." he mumbled as an after thought though Saruhiko did not manage to hear it.

" And you are the - wait _what_?"

"Hmm?"

"What did you say again?"

"That I'm not joking?"

"No, after that."

"That you're my reincarnation?"

"Yes, that. WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M YOU'RE REINCARNATION?!"

"It means what it means. You'll just have to go with it, I guess. "

Saruhiko sighed and curled himself up while in a sitting position.

"This is so confusing..."

"I know but just bear with me for a bit longer. Don't worry though, unlike those _wonderful Friends_ of yours _..._ " He spat out the words like venom but continued otherwise. "... I would never leave you. Nor would I ever betray you. I'll always be right here for you, alright?" He smiled and brushed away the tears that fell unconciously from Saruhiko's eyes while hearing his response.

Something snapped in him that felt so heavy to stop as if all the thick walls he built up around him simultaneously collapse with just a few words.

Saruhiko wrapped his arms around him and held him tighter than before. He did not care if he was breaking down. All he did and wanted to do for a hell of a long time was to release the pent up emotions inside him until he finally calmed down.

Hitsumire just held him closer and caressesd his hair until all his tears and pent up frustration were finally released.

After a few minutes, Saruhiko regained his composure and after so many years, the pain in his heart ceased even if it was just temporary.

Hitsumire smiled then stood up bringing Saruhiko along with him.

"Saruhiko, you're gonna have to wake up now... We'll be able to communicate through your mind but, you need to be strong for just a bit more. I'll end your pain soon, I promise."

Too tired to speak up, Saruhiko merely nodded.

And the light was replaced with darkness.

* * *

Saruhiko opened his bleary eyes and saw his captain sitting beside him with a worried but relieved expression. He could not hear anything properly but, he knew everyone was scrambling to inform the doctors.

After a few seconds, his senses came back to normal. It was then that he noticed that all the members of the Red clan including the king as well as the Silver clan and the Gold King was inside his gigantic room with a look of gratitude.

The red king walked up from his position at the window towards Saruhiko and ruffled his hair.

 _Why does everyone like to ruffle my hair today?_

"You made us worried kid."

Saruhiko flashed a look of confusion towards the red king. Apparently, all the time he used to talk to Hitsumire was longer than what he had expected.

"You've been in a coma for a week now, Fushimi-kun." Munakata spoke in a calmed tone, relieved of his worries _for now._

"Ahh..."

"Either way, thanks." Mikoto said.

"For what?"

"For bringing back Totsuka and healing my sword, that's what."

"Oh. That was accidental, you know."

"Still, you helped us and there is no excuse for what you've done. We are indebted to you Fushimi-san." Adolf Weissman, or Isana Yashiro, said while the Gold king nodded in approval.

"...it really was nothing..." Saruhiko looked away with a barely seen blush on his cheeks.

The other clansmen also said their thanks though some seemed a bit reluctant and embarrassed while _others_ did not bother to come close, opting to glare at the very person who saved one of their fellow clansmen and their king.

The kings sighed at his denial and at their antics while smiling. However, the Gold king's news brought everyone back into focus _._

 _"While Fushimi-san here has started to recover his full health, there is still the threat of the alpha class group of strains that attacked us three days ago from going after him and using him for our demise knowing how powerful he can become. As much as possible, please be on the look out for any suspicious activities. Until then, we will keep a tight connection will all of the clans present here. Who knows what they decide to utilized Fushimi-san's strength and capabilities for their agendas."  
_

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. Please review this story. Your ideas will help me a lot. Till next time...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Pain of the Past and Present

A/N: Hey guys! I'm really sorry for not updating… our quarterly exams just finished and there are still a LOT of things to do… thanks so much for those that reviewed, followed or added the story in their favorites. I really appreciated it.

 **Akira Hidaka:** thanks for reminding me about the non-cannon part. I forgot to place that as a disclaimer. As for the pairings… well I haven't completely chosen who but I may put up a poll later…

I'll be referring to Saruhiko as 'Saruhiko'.

' _Thoughts'_

"Dialogue/Saruhiko talking"

" **Histsumire Talking"**

Anyway, enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own K project. Grammar and spelling errors may be found inside. Beware of the cursings. My writing is still not that good so bear with me...

* * *

Weeks have passed and Saruhiko was finally released. Hitsumire has yet to say anything to him but, the warmth of his flames gave him a bit of reassurance. His power seemed to have increased as well though, whether he will be able to summon Hitsumire's Sword of Damocles, he has yet to try. The pain of his body is still present and it's taking him every ounce of his self-restraint to not flinch from the sensations.

He walked around the training grounds of Scepter 4's headquarters while recalling the so-called (as he believed) _stupid_ _warnings_ of the Gold King.

"Hidden agendas _my ass_. That was _completely_ _ **stupid**_ **and** _ **unneccessary.**_ Are they honestly that naïve? I mean… If something as _**simple**_ as an Alpha _Strain_ Attack shook them what more if it's another battle of kings? One that includes ALL _clans_." Saruhiko muttered under his breath while he tried to organize his chaotic thoughts.

Sighing, he shifted his attention instead towards the scenes (memories as he believed) that suddenly surged through his mind before he blacked out.

"Those _memories_ though… Were they Hitsumire-san's Memories? And who was that boy that was lying in a pool of blood? Hitsumire-san was crying a lot at that time too. And why the hell was he bounded to a pillar? That boy looked as if he was used as a sacrifice in those creepy ritual stuff. What the hell were they doing there in the first place? Argh… this is all so damn confusing." Saruhiko said as he ruffled his hair in frustration. It seemed as though today was the day his confusion and irritation piled up.

"This is getting me nowhere. I might as well get out of this stuffy place. It's too suffocating."

Saruhiko walked out of the headquarters, his face scrunched up in tension.

* * *

Saruhiko walked around aimlessly, trying to get the weight of chest out. But, every step he took felt heavier than the first one. His chest felt as if it was going to collapse and he still did not know the cause of it. He had a terrible time breathing and was constantly gasping for air, though he did it subtly so as not to alert anyone of his current condition.

He kept walking, trying to find a more secluded area until he looked around and realized that he was already deep in the red clan's territory. He centainly wished that he would not encounter any red clansmen. He is in no mood or condition to fight and is _most certainly_ **not** willing to put up much time or effort for whatever shit their up to... **Again**.

Unfortunately for him, fate just _loves_ to make him suffer.

He felt red aura seep through several feet away from him which, by the way, is just around the corner of his location.

 _'How_ wonderful _ **.**_ _My luck just seems to run out in the worst possible moment.'_

Cursing his luck, he immediately went through an alleyway and climbed up to the roof of a four storey building. From there he suppressed his presence and allow himself to freely gasp for air. For what seemed like hours,(it was just a few seconds, really) he finally managed to calm his eratic heartbeat and breathing, though there is still some difficulty concerning the latter. Noticing the sudden spike of aura, he observed the red clan from above as they reached his previous location.

"The whole clan's here... Must be celebrating their king's recovery." Saruhiko murmured then proceeded to jump across the other roof to hear their conversation.

He hid in an extremely dark alley and eavesdropped on their chat.

"Ne Kusunagi-san... Where are we going?" Kamamoto Rikio asked as he tried to keep up with the second-in-command.

"Just a place where we could eat. I heard of a new shop that just opened so I thought that we might as well try it." Kusunagi answered with a shrug. The others merely nodded in acceptance and proceeded to chat with each other.

"Waaaaaah... I can't believe I'm actually here." Totsuka said as he stretched his arms high in the air.

"...I know what you mean. It is actually quite a miracle, don't you think? I never honestly expected you to be revived all of a sudden..." Kusunagi responded in a somewhat relieved but somewhat thankful tone.

"Of course it would happen! The Red clan has always been a tight-nit group! It's only natural that we stick together no matter what!" Yata Misaki said in his loud boisterous voice.

"Ehhh? But didn't that Fushimi guy from Scepter 4 bring back Totsuka-san?" Eric asked himself in a soft voice. But, Yata still heard him. Everything seemed to go in a slow motion until out of nowhere, in his sudden rage, he grabbed Eric by the front of the collar and screamed at him.

"Bullshit! You honestly expect that _traitor_ to be the one to bring Totsuka-san back to us?!"

The whole clan stopped walking and chatting and the whole empty street was in a deafening silence. Saruhiko could clearly see and hear their conversation since they conveniently stopped at the entrance of the alley though could not be seen by the others since the whole alley was pitch black.

Yata continued to scream at Eric, throwing him on the ground then grabbing his neck and yanked him in a kneeling position suffocating him in the process.

"That fucking piece of trash is not worth a single fucking glance or acknowledgement. He probably even had crawled in-"

"Yata. That's enough." Kusunagi said in a stern voice. But, Yata continued to rant, ignoring the warning.

"- his king's ass while we grieved and mourned for our loss. That fucking traitor is nothing but a fucked up son of a bitch whose hungry for attention. If you honestly believed that _that_ pathetic,-"

"Yata, damn it! I said that's enough!" Kusunagi said in an angered voice while coming towards him trying to stop him but was still ignored and pushed away by the red head.

"-worthless, fucking piece of shit actually saved Totsuka-san then you have got to be the most idiotic fuck shitty dog in the whole universe. For all I know, you must have been such a wuss in the past that you _yourself_ allowed your fucking captors to fucking rape you. And you enjoyed it didn't you? Besides, that bullshit traitor couldn't even stand up to his king then what more now?" Yata was suddenly yanked back in a rough pull while his wrist was locked in Mikoto's grasp in a painful manner that he could not help but cry out in pain.

"Yatagarasu. You better keep that mouth of yours shut before I burn you into a fucking crisp." Mikoto's low voice was heard along the empty street, the tone was deathly serious.

Yata kept crying out in pain, begging his king to release his wrist but Mikoto wasn't done yet. He pulled his wrist up, dragging Yata into a standing position.

"You listen here, Yatagarasu. You have no damn idea what suffering Saruhiko had to go through. You have no damn idea what he had to sacrifice just to even be _alive_ right now. So before you open that damn fucking mouth of yours, make sure that your not _blinded_ by your fuckin' jelousy, you fuckin' little shit. I've had enough of your damn ranting as if you know everything about the world." Mikoto released his wrist none to gently then started walking away, the rest of the clan soon followed albeit in a more sedate pace to avoid the king's wrath until there was no one left.

But, no one seemed to notice the black mark on Yata's neck or the sudden change of color in his eyes.

* * *

Saruhiko stood frigid, his eyes blank and glassy. Every word Yata uttered stabbed his heart in more ways than one. It felt as if though each word pierced deeper than any knife or sword could do. His whole being was numb but his chest was squeezing so painfully that he couldn't breathe at all. He couldn't even feel Hitsumire's warmth anymore. He felt light headed with the lack of air and was starting to get delirious. He wanted to lose consciousness and die but, fortunately or unfortunately, depending on what viewpoints, his body just doesn't seem to listen to his (suicidal) thoughts.

Everything seemed to slow down around him until he felt a sudden burst of warmth, the familiar reassuring warmth that he has started to love and filled him with relief.

 **"Don't let his words get to you, Saruhiko."** Hitsumire's melodic voice echoed through his blank mind though it was filled with worry and guilt. Saruhiko did not like his voice filled with such emotions at all but, he pushed the thought at the back of his mind for now.

"Hit...su...mi..re...san? I'm not...dreaming now, am I?" Saruhiko asked in a resigned voice as if he has already given in to the pain.

 **"Saruhiko... I'm sorry I took so long. It's gonna be ok. Just hang in there alright? I'll help you go back to the Blue king. He'll be able to help you for now. Is that ok?"**

Saruhiko muttered a soft affirmative response and allowed Hitsumire to control his body. He felt his body move in great speed while the landscape of the city seemed to blur as he moved towards Scepter 4's building. His breathing, thankfully, has returned to normal with the intervention of Hitsumire.

He desperately wanted to return to his mindscape and bask in the loving warmth of Hitsumire as well as his gentle caresses and soothing words. He badly wished to escape reality and stay with Hitsumire, the only person that has been there for him, as he believed, until death takes him away. He wanted to succumb to the pain and let fate take his life away. It was far too much for him to bear.

His thoughts kept wandering around until it finally blanked out again. He merely looked at the horizon without even realizing _what_ was infront of him. He was brought back when Hitsumire's voice echoed through his mind.

 **"We're almost there. Just a bit more, alright? I can already see the Blue king outside. He looked like he's taking a break though. Can you hold on a bit more?"**

"... Maybe..."

 **"It's gonna be alright. I'm right here for you, m'kay? Just a bit more then you can rest."**

"... I'll try, then..."

Once he reached the gates, Hitsumire returned the control of his body to Saruhiko. He caught the attention of Munakata and tried to run towards him but his vision started to blur. He felt his king move infront of him and wrap his arms around him before he could collapse. He felt himself lean on his king's shoulders while he panted and gasped for air again and faintly heard Munakata's voice frantically calling him before the darkness engulfed him.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_

I was planning on making this a bit longer but I decided to place the rest on the next chapter... So it might quite boring for you and a bit confusing but I'll try to clear it up for you and post the next chapters of the story...

Hopefully... Sorry for the short chapter... T^T

I just created the poll for the pairings so please feel free to visit my profile and vote.

If you have any suggestions for the pairings, please pm me for your ideas.

Anyway... Please leave a review, constructive critisism if possible...

Thanks for reading!

See ya next time ^^


	4. Chapter 4:Steil Nexus

Chapter 4:

A/n: Sorry for the long wait... The stress of the new school year plus the lessons nearly drove me crazy with stress... Anyways, thanks to all that reviewed, followed and added this story to their favorites list!

I am planning on rewriting this but if you have any suggestions for the story please don't hesitate to pm me.

Disclaimer: I do not own K project.

* * *

Saruhiko's PoV:

The sky was painted gray and a light shade of black when I woke up. A complete contrast to what I had seen before. The wind blew strongly as if a storm is close. So terribly close.

The lake that was once became the beakon of peacefulness in me was encased in thick ice that was cracked at the very center. It looked like a sword was forcefully stabbed there, pulled out roughly and harshly stomped on. Cracks overlapping and intersecting one after the other.

It reminds me of myself...

... Or what's left of it.

Everything felt so heavy but the wind kept blowing stronger as if in a frantic attempt to keep me afloat from the pain, desperately trying to pull me up. As if it's alive like a real living being in the first place...

 _'..Is it?'_

My thoughts were cut off abruptly when I heard a panicked voice calling out to me.

I heard a set of footsteps coming closer to me but my vision swam and I couldn't focus at all.

I felt warm soft fingers caress my cheek in the same manner that one would do if he was holding something quite precious but extremely fragile.

Something wet dropped on my face but I couldn't see anything. I could only make out a silhouette of a person but barely could understand the rest.

 _'...Are these...tears?'_

 _'...Why?...'_

 _'...Why would anyone cry for me?'_

The sounds I heard before were like screams but it seemed so far away...

I felt myself losing into the darkness again. In the end, I still lost conciousness just like before.

* * *

Hitsumire's PoV:

 _'He's here. I can feel it. His presence. But the weight of his burden is heavier than before. It's too much for anyone to bear let alone a fragile child. He's starting to lose it. I better hurry...'_

His presence felt stronger with every step I took. I didn't know what path I was taking, only that I kept following the wind's direction.

The clouds thundered and covered the whole sky. The air was freezing cold and the once gentle breeze has become a raging storm.

 _ **T**_ _ **he exires are furious. The flames are in a frenzy. The blaze is murderous. The steil has snapped.**_ **They** _ **will come soon. Sooner than anyone would expect. Their punishment for those foolish humans will be far worse than armageddon. They will pay for everything they've done.**_

 _Their_ arrival is certain so there is no need for me any longer to dwell in these thoughts.

I finally reached his location but what I saw and felt far more severe than what I expected. His body was lying on the ground seemingly lifeless, his chest cut deep with a diagonal gash that starts on his right shoulder and ends at his left hip. His clothes were bloody and he was barely breathing. The wind was howling and the sky darkening with every moment that passed.

But, it seemed that someone beaten me in arriving.

 _ **The Steil has come.**_

 _ **The rest will soon follow.**_

I went closer to the both of them only to halt in my tracks and dodge when sharp projectiles of ice sped to my location.

"Stop your attacks! I am no enemy! Please heed my call!"

The ice paused, encircling me and effectively trapping me into place. Seconds passed until the figure's voice echoed through the area.

"... State your purpose." His voice nearly passed off as a whisper.

"My purpose?... I am his other half... His guardian per se... My purpose is to keep him above _it_..."

He did not respond but after a few seconds right after the statement, the winds started to calm and the ice slowly moved away from me.

I approached the figure cautiously, trying not to seem as a threat. I knew that if I made one wrong step, he will literally destroy my existence. The silhouette stood still, hidden in the frosty mist that enveloped both him and Saruhiko but his stance was tense, ready to strike at any provocation. His power was bursting around them uncontrollably, like a barrier.

As the distance between me and the barrier shorten, I could finally see glimpses of the figure.

 _'Damn it! I should have connected everything sooner! How could I've been so stupid?! The ice, the howling winds, the frost mist, the Cold-! The Steil has come!'_ I cursed my luck.

Out of all the paladins that could have arrived first, it just had to be the Steil. With the ability to command the skies, of course he'd be the first one to feel the pull.

I was brought out of my musing as the Steil walked towards me slightly.

"...You are his... Guardian?... Perhaps you can tell me why he is... Hurt...", he spoke slowly, his voice nearly a whisper. But I could hear the underlying threat for those that dare hurt Saruhiko.

I knew that _they_ screwed up at this point. The Steil, just like the storm, is calm before he strikes. When his voice falls barely as a whisper, he's basically ready to hunt down those that hurt his master.

" _.._ An incident happend just a while ago. I suspect an outside interference but apparently it is more powerful than I expected..." I spoke softly with a tinge of bitterness in my voice. I could not help but feel useless during the incident.

"...Quite disturbing. To challenge him so boldly, this being must either be foolish or insane... Either way, the seal with break soon when the crimson stained lotus blooms..."

 _Crimson what?_

 _What in the world is that?!_

As I try to decipher his words, I realized that my companion has disappeared and Saruhiko is fully healed. He was nowhere in sight but my gut tells me he's still here somewhere.

 _There's something much bigger going on. Something enough to threaten the balance._

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **So... Hey guys! I am terribly sorry for the short chapter and for not updating for so long... My writer's block took quite a while to be removed. Plus with all the other problems that I came (typhoons, months of blackouts an a hell of a lot more) I wasn't able to focus on this... I'll try my best to update faster but I'd probably update on irregular intervals... Again, I am terribly sorry for that.**


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